1. Webinar Regarding AIR.U's Efforts to Bring
Super Wi-Fi Networks to Underserved
Campuses and Communities
D ar at i o
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N w ks
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G oup, LLC
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Aug 16, 2012
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2. Broadband is the common platform for
knowledge exchange
Networks
In a knowledge-based
economy, we should
seek to eliminate
Broadband bandwidth as a
Users Devices
Ecosystem constraint to
innovation, productivity
and leadership
Applications
Improvements in each element of the ecosystem
drive improvements in others in a Virtuous Cycle
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3. But we are unlikely to get the upgrade necessary
For the first time since the beginning of the commercial internet, there are no plans
for a national wired provider to build a faster network than the leading network.
DOCSIS 3.0
FIOS, UVerse
Basic Math for
Telco Plans
Speed Telco DSL an Upgrade
Dial-Up
2G Cable BB
Cable BB
Time
Instead of upgrades, incumbents are talking about
data caps and other ways to restrict use 3

4. The returns do not justify the investment
For the investor in the network, the equation currently looks like this:
C + O > (1-r)R + SB + (-CL)
Costs Benefits
C: Capital Expenditures
O: Operating Expenditures
r: Risk
R: Revenues
SB: System Benefits (Benefits that drive increased revenues outside the
communities where the new or incremental investments are made)
CL: Losses due to competition
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5. The path forward: change the math
C + O < (1-r)R + SB + (-CL)
But how do we do that?
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6. AIR.U
Consortium of Higher Education Groups, Microsoft and Google Launch
Program to Deploy Big Bandwidth to Underserved College
Communities , April 26th, 2012
 Develop near term opportunities to broadly deploy White Space
technologies within rural Colleges, Universities and their communities
 Establish a roadmap for the rapid deployment of sustainable, next D ar at i o
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generation wireless networks – beginning now with Pilot planning phase N w ks
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 Create partnerships that provide access to available resources that enable
adequate funding and sustainable commercial business models
“I find last month’s announcement of the AIR U initiative very exciting, because we all recognize the fact that
universities that are located in certain rural areas, are struggling to find access to affordable broadband
networks. By employing unlicensed TV White Space services, the AIR U initiative can offer a low-cost means to
provide these universities with increased coverage and capacity”- FCC Commissioner Clyburn , July 2012 FCC
Open Meeting
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7. New Beachfront Spectrum is Available
 Unassigned TV Channels freed as a result of the FCC transition to Digital TV
 Channels vary by market, with large amounts of spectrum in small/mid-size cities and rural communities.
 Now available on an unlicensed basis (like WiFi) & intended for broadband applications
 “Super WiFi”: Much lower frequency (than current WiFi) provides for:
 Signal coverage over far larger areas (up to 5 km vs. 100 meters for WiFi)
 Signals penetrate or bend around obstacles (trees, buildings, hills) far better than higher frequencies
(like broadcast TV)
 An ideal, inexpensive, ‘last mile’ solution – adding coverage and capacity where fiber is not close by.
Lower VHF Upper VHF UHF
TV ch 14-20
RA
TV ch TV ch 21-36
5-6 TV ch 7-13 TV ch 38-51
2-4 Public Safety 37
54
72
76
88
216
470
512
608
698
174
614
Wireless Mics
Fixed TVWS Devices
Portable/Personal
TVWS Devices
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8. Relative Bandwidth Allocation
Wi-Fi – its impact after 10
years
Bandwidth Allocation by Service
2002
140 •Wi-Fi alliance founded
2012
120 •439 million homes using a Wi-Fi
100 router
MHZ per POP
2016
80 •800 million homes projected to
60 deploy Wi-Fi
•Currently 25% of all households
40 worldwide use Wi-Fi
20 •85% penetration in homes with fixed
broadband
0
By making fixed broadband more
White 2.4 GHz 900 700 PCS Cellular AWS valuable, Wi-Fi:
•generates $46 to $87 billion of
Space ISM MHz MHz consumer surplus each year.
Total ISM Sour ce: Spect r um •maintains 49 to 101 million fixed
broadband subscriptions around the
Br i dge
world.
Source: Strategy Analytics
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9. TV White Space Trial
Deployments Currently operational TVWS trial
deployments supported by
Rural Broadband: Nation’s first TVWS network –
Spectrum
Claudville, VA Bridge, Microsoft, Google and
other companies.
“Smart Grid” Network Deployment –
Plumas-Sierra Rural Electric Co-Op, CA
“Smart City” Network
Deployment–
Wilmington, NC
Partnership with city and
Public Safety entities
Telemedicine Applications –
hospital campus – Logan, OH
Tribal and Public Safety Remote Area
Deployment – Yurok Reservation, Arcata, CA
Super WiFi Network Deployment – Cambridge, England – In UK, 1-year trial: variety of uses
cases by consortium 14 companies (Microsoft, BT, BBC), Adaptrum, Neul, Nokia, etc)
and 2 networks in Finland by Spectrum Bridge
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10. Applications & Services
Wireless Broadband
 Mobile & Fixed (Last Residential
Mile)
Community-Wide
Broadband
 Wireless Residential Super Wi-Fi
Multi-Media Networking Smart City
 Wireless Backhaul Applications
 Video ‘Broadcasting’
Machine-to-Machine
 Remote Sensing and
Monitoring
 Asset Tracking
 Mobile Video
Surveillance
~5 Miles
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11. Super Wi-Fi Eco-System is Now Forming
Sept 2010: FCC Final
Rulemaking approved
Fully unlicensed use of white
Mobile
space frequencies
Feb 2012- Congress passes bill
Addressable securing TV Bands for
Markets & Unlicensed use
Applications
US Market Stage Is Set
 Legislation is in place
 Standards Based
Nomadic/
Fixed Equipment Vendors Are
Applications
Announcing Production
Today Dec ‘12 Dec ‘13 Schedules
 DB Administrators have
Pre-Production/
been FCC Certified
Limited Qtys Begin Production Unit Availability
Equipment
Configurations
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12. AIR.U Objective
Higher Ed Communities represent an environment well suited for Super Wi-Fi innovation
√ Higher than average Bandwidth Requirements (Increasing)
√ Lower than average Bandwidth Alternatives (Static)
√ Fewer than average Broadcasters resulting in Higher than average White Space
AIR.U (Advanced Internet Regions)
• Establish a path to self-sustaining, commercial operations that will offer Super Wi-
Fi services broadly to college and university communities
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13. Community Opportunity
Case Study: Middlebury College
Available TVWS Spectrum
Organizing Available Resources to:
• Fixed Channels = 23
• 23/3 = 7.6 Channels/ cell (round down to 7)
Cell Capacity  Reduce Capex
• Avg Capacity/ Cell: 70Mbps
•
(7x10Mgbps/Channel)
Monthly Average Cell Capacity =
 Reduce Opex
70e6*3600*24*30/8 = 22,680 GB
Example Network Capacity  Reduce Risk
• Capacity Plan
– 100% Population Coverage @  Increase Revenues
10GB/month
• Population Coverage:
– Campus: 2,500*10 GB / 22,680 GB = 2
cells
is the key to Unlocking Benefits
– Surrounding Town: 8,500*10 GB /
22,680 GB = 4 cells
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14. Organizing Resources
Identify Available Resources and Coordinated Support
• Reduce Capex
– Access to Antenna Sites (i.e. ROWs, Tower and Rooftops)
• Reduce Opex
– Access to Telecom Facilities (i.e. Middle Mile Fiber, Backhaul, Internet)
• Reduce Risk
– Organize Demand (i.e. Students, Faculty, Municipality, Affiliated Enterprises)
– Standardized Network, Deployment and Customer Support functions
• Increase Revenues
– Introduce new low cost broadband services
– Coordinated Marketing to Accelerate Adoption
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15. Expressions of Interest
To submit interest for pilot consideration:
http://bit.ly/AIRUInterest
Powerpoint and link to this form will also be emailed
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